Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoWait, everyone is out on Tensai? I was just warming up to this whole thing. Tensai got off to a crumby start and the gimmick needs tweaking, but it will get there.
Big men and their gimmicks need time on the vine to fully ripen. Don't give up yet.
I WANT to like this gimmick, because I think it's kinda cool. The problem is Albert's appearance. I don't know if it's the tighty-reddy trunks, how white and hairless he is, the big belly, the weird facial hair...hell, I guess it's everything. His movements look ridiculous - like a fat kid playing ninja in the back yard.
I'm warming up on Lord Tensai as well. I'm curious to see what he can do with the more talented members of the roster, and we saw hints of it against CM Punk.
2012 is shaping up to be the year of Daniel Bryan. That's two weeks on the bounce he's been in the main event of Raw, and his image was the one which closed the show.
I enjoyed the tag match in the middle of the show. Sheamus/Orton vs ADR/Jericho was just teeming with fresh new feuds. I can't recall Jericho and Orton feuding in recent years, that's definitely a match I want to see.
Speaking of Jericho - could we be seeing hints of him moving to Smackdown with Daniel Bryan moving in the other direction? I think Jericho would do a fantastic job on Smackdown putting over younger talent.
Laurinatis is polarising like heel Cole was at points last year. Personally, he entertains the hell out of me when he's cutting promos like he did at the start of the show. So much deadpan, subtle humour. Punk's audience interaction "Am I finished? NO!" was a lot of fun. Then they went and totally overdid the Laurinatis angle with the Big Show/Eve stuff.
Ziggler's win over Kofi starts to erase memories of all his recent jobs to Brodus. Speaking of Clay, I thought his match with Miz was fine, and deserved to play before better crowd heat. I thought the crowd had been a good one up to that point.
Paul Heyman was great, of course. It's the perfect way to keep Brock's character ticking over until he resurfaces.
Overall I found Raw to be highly enjoyable, and I don't really understand why it's getting more negative reviews than positive.
(edited by superfurry on 8.5.12 1812) twitter: @superfurry316
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoWait, everyone is out on Tensai? I was just warming up to this whole thing. Tensai got off to a crumby start and the gimmick needs tweaking, but it will get there.
Big men and their gimmicks need time on the vine to fully ripen. Don't give up yet.
His movements look ridiculous - like a fat kid playing ninja in the back yard.
THIS! Guy just looks like the poster boy for 80s rasslin' crap. Sometimes that works, like when you are watching old VHS tapes, but not in 2012.
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Originally posted by superfurrySpeaking of Jericho - could we be seeing hints of him moving to Smackdown with Daniel Bryan moving in the other direction? I think Jericho would do a fantastic job on Smackdown putting over younger talent.
The question with Jericho is when he's going away again. I'm not sure there's any confirmed end date yet, but the assumption seemed to be that he was wrapping up after the Punk feud, which is why seeing him on last night's show in an unrelated match surprised me. If he is going to be unavailable for the summer, I wouldn't be shocked to see Orton punt him out of action again at the PPV or the night after.
When that segment got started last night, I briefly thought Jericho was out there to feud with Del Rio, not tag with him, and that momentarily intrigued me. Jericho turning face to feud with Del Rio long enough to let Del Rio send him away again to get Alberto some heat back would work. Jericho staying heel to test the waters for a Del Rio turn might even be more interesting, going back to that brief moment last year when Del Rio & Ricardo got a face reaction against Miz & Riley.
The important thing is, Jericho and Del Rio should have a feud long enough that we get a segment where Ricardo steals and puts on the Electric Jacket. That's really the only thing that matters to me.
Re: Tensai again, it also didn't help any of them that Clay, Tensai and Ryback all got the same treatment of a month+ of jobber matches with no variation. Which is very old school introduction for big guys, but doesn't really work today and especially not with three big guys coming on the roster back-to-back-to-back. Brodus is finally getting a potential feud/angle, but it took a while and at least he's considerably more charismatic than Tensai, who needed to come in with purpose right away.
In the short term, I definitely think giving Sakamoto something to do and/or letting Tensai cut a promo in English where he talks about being Albert and finding his true self or something like that in Japan would be a big help. Also, yeah, give him some pants. Either some hakama/samurai pants or even something closer to what Kezno Suzuki wore.
Sakamoto is the best smirker currently in the business! Isn't that enough? (It's enough for me!)
The William Balfour trial* is thought to be headed to the jury for deliberations TOMORROW, which could mean Otunga could be back by next Monday if things wrap up neatly. Otunga's problem is Eve has so easily settled into the role it may be hard for him to get it back unless Creative can be...well, creative. Bobby Heenan knew best: never take time off.
*I did want to call it the Jennifer Hudson trial, but let's face it - the only thing she may be guilty of is questionable taste in a fianceé - ZING
Tensai will lose first, via DQ to Punk next week on Raw.
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Originally posted by TorchslasherTensai will lose first, via DQ to Punk next week on Raw.
Yeah, but who will be pinned first?
(edited by Kevintripod on 8.5.12 1920)
I think Brodus gets pinned first. I still never forget the quote from Taker a decade ago when he said A-Train is the future of the business, so I can see them building Tensai up as 'unbeaten' for a match against the streak next year.
Originally posted by texasranger9Who looses first? Tensei, Brodus, or Ryback?
Brodus has long-since needed to eat a pin. There's no reason he should be looking this invulnerable given his limited gimmick. I still can't believe they're feeding him Ziggler and Miz clean in three minute matches. And yet, there doesn't seem to be any sign of it ending anytime soon. The guy has zero direction. It's like they have no Plan B for him.
Originally posted by Parts UnknownThe problem is Albert's appearance. I don't know if it's the tighty-reddy trunks, how white and hairless he is...
Did anyone think we'd ever describe Albert as "white and hairless"?
(edited by It's False on 8.5.12 1954)
"This is DIET Double Dew, Kyle! It only has half the caffeine and sugar of Double Dew!"
Originally posted by redsoxnation I think Brodus gets pinned first. I still never forget the quote from Taker a decade ago when he said A-Train is the future of the business, so I can see them building Tensai up as 'unbeaten' for a match against the streak next year.
I'm not sure how to process this. I mean, April 1st was over a month ago so it can't be that...